Discovering Family
by Original Awesome Girl
Summary: AU human version. The Mikaelson family is a mess. Maybe, with the help of their neighbor, Katherine, and her friend, Hayley, they can put their family back into one piece. Being cut by a rock pierces the skin, but family wounds pierce the heart. Will women be able to fix a wound this deep?
1. Introduction

_**A/N: I do not own The Originals. **_**This is a story mainly about the Mikaelson family. They will be human, and things will get interesting. I thought I'd try to write a family story, not focusing much on romance, but since I'm kind of obsessed with romance and true love, and the whole nine yards, there will definitely be enough. I hope you all enjoy this!**

**Introduction**

The main points you should know to understand this story.

The Mikaelsons are human.

Elijah, Klaus, Rebekah, and Kol are the only siblings involved. They live with Mikael.

Esther and Mikael are divorced.

Esther lives somewhere with her new husband (You'll meet him later).

The next-door neighbors are Amber Pierce, and her daughters, Tatia, Katherine, and Elena.

Tatia has a daughter, who is four – Isobel. She lives there, too.

Katherine is best friends with Hayley Marshall, who she used to live next to.

Elijah is engaged to Camille O'Connell.

Mikael and Amber have a thing.

Elijah recently broke up with Katherine. Kol wants to date Elena.

Rebekah always tries to keep her brothers from getting to serious. And it usually works.

Mikaelson is a rich wealthy, respected family name.

Katherine has a secret and is calling in Hayley.

Will the Mikaelsons be able to put their lives back together with the help of these women? Read to find out.


	2. News

**_With the Mikaelsons…_**

"Klaus! You'll be late for dinner!" Rebekah called from the kitchen. All the Mikaelson kids were adults or almost adults, Kol and Rebekah were seventeen. But living with your family in a big house when you are the wealthiest in the country is different than living with your family in a house when you have a tight amount of space. You get a ton of personal space, so they didn't mind. Klaus walked in, followed by Elijah. They had had a long day at the office, where they worked. "You guys need to go upstairs, get cleaned up, and get down here before Father gets home." Rebekah told them.

The boys walked upstairs and Rebekah turned to Kol, who was sitting in the living room on the couch, playing _Call of Duty, _"Kol, get your butt up off the couch and help set the table for dinner." He looked up for a moment, "Why?" "It's Friday. Father will be home tonight." Rebekah answered, sadly. Mikael worked long hours, and spent much time drinking. The only times he was home for dinner were Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. The kids made it last. Other nights they just ordered pizza, or something. Kol got up and set the table. "What are we having?" He asked Rebekah, who happened to be an excellent cook. "Roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and cooked carrots." "Mmm. Sounds delicious." "I hope so. Where are Nik and Elijah?" Kol shook his head, shrugging his shoulders. "Go see what's taking them so long." Rebekah said, gesturing up the stairs. Kol just looked at her, so she slapped him, bringing him back to the present. "Alright, alright. I'm going. Geez, Bekah." He quickly went up the stairs, not wishing to be slapped again.

Kol walked down the hallway to Elijah's room. He stopped when he heard yelling. He cracked the door open, slightly. "You cheated on her, Elijah! You could have at least broken up with her before going after that bookworm!" "I know! What have I done?" "Father will kill you." "Whatever." Klaus slapped Elijah across the face. Kol stood there, for a moment, unable to move. _'What is wrong with this family?'_ He thought, _'We all seem to have inherited Father's temper.'_ Carefully, he walked in, "Bekah wants you downstairs, now. Dinner's ready." He told them, before getting out of there as soon as possible.

They slowly made their way downstairs. There, stood Rebekah, waiting. "You're late." She said angrily, throwing a spatula so it hit Elijah right between the eyes. Don't be late again." She whispered, menacingly. The big boys didn't want to admit it, but they were scared of Rebekah. She had the whole 'Behave of I'll rip your head off' kind of vibe. They sat down at the table, right when Mikael walked in. Rebekah moved to him, first. She was a total daddy's girl. "Hi Father, we made dinner." She said, hugging him and giving him a quick peck on the cheek before letting her brothers say hello.

"Come on, Father. It's your favorite." Kol said. "Actually, I'm expecting someone." Mikael said. His kids sat back, wondering who this mystery woman- Mikael never brought home a work buddy, or a friend, just women. They saw his friends at parties.- was. There was a knock on the door, and Mikael answered it. There, they saw Amber Pierce, from next door. No surprise. Along with her were Tatia, Isobel, and Elena. "Where's Katherine?" Elijah asked. He may have cheated on her, but he can't help but still feel something for her. "She's not feeling well." Tatia said, prying Isobel off her body so she could hug the kids. Tatia was like an aunt to the Mikaelson children. She was ten years older than her twin sisters. She was from the first marriage Amber had. Katherine and Elena were from the third. Tatia always wound up as babysitter, somehow.

They sat down to eat, Rebekah feeling very self-conscious, as she did not expect to have to feed company. Once Mikael and Amber both finished their meals, Mikael grabbed her hand and pulled her to where everyone at the table could see. He got their attention, saying, "Hey, guys, I would like to ask Amber a question." Klaus and Rebekah looked at each other, across the table, terrified. They knew what was coming next. Mikael got down on one knee, pulled out a ring, and asked, "Amber, will you marry me?" "Yes!" She exclaimed. He picked her up and swung her in the air. Rebekah burst into tears, while Klaus got in front of her, knowing his father didn't like them to show emotion. "WHAT KIND OF FATHER PROPOSES IN FRONT OF HIS OWN CHILDREN?" She yelled, before running upstairs to her room. An angry Klaus quickly followed, while everyone else congratulated them.

In Rebekah's room, she lay on the bed, just sobbing. Klaus hugged his sister, caringly. "How could he do this to us?" She whispered, quietly, in her big brother's arms. "I don't know, Becks, I don't know." They sat quietly crying, trying to console each other. "I mean, if he's going to marry someone we didn't even know he was dating, he definitely should not propose in front of us." She said. "I'm calling Mother. Maybe we can go live with her." "Maybe. How do you have her number?" "She gave it to me. Do you think Katherine knows about this?" Klaus asked. "No. Let's go tell her." The two snuck out the window, dropping into the trees below. They mastered any and all escape routes years ago.

**_With the Pierces…_**

Katherine threw up in the toilet. She felt her forehead. It was warm. "Katherine, Sweetie, are you coming with us to the Mikaelsons?" Tatia asked her. She shook her head. "I'm not feeling good. I think I'll stay here." "Okay, feel better." As soon as they left, Katherine pulled herself out of bed. She reached for her phone and called Hayley. Hayley Marshall was a girl who lived a few blocks away; She was best friends with Katherine.

She arrived at her house moments later. "Katherine! What is? I'm exhausted." Katherine looked behind her, "Wait, did you run all the way here?" Hayley nodded. "You are the best." "Enough with the chit-chat. What's going on?" "I'm pregnant." "WHAT?" Katherine just nodded. Hayley saw her face and hugged her best friend. "Elijah's…?" Hayley asked, cautiously. "Yeah." "When did you find out?" "Two weeks ago." "And you're just telling me now?" "Well, I just started getting morning sickness the other day." "How far along are you?" Hayley asked. "About five or six weeks." Katherine looked up, tears in her eyes. Hayley hugged her again, trying to comfort her friend.

"Have you told anyone?" "No, just you." "What about Elijah?" "He cheated on me when I first got pregnant, now he's engaged to someone else." "He got engaged to someone after one month?" "He takes after his father." A voice said from the living room.

Katherine and Hayley spun around, seeing Klaus and Rebekah standing there. Katherine spoke first. "How much did you hear?" "Enough to know our brother got you pregnant." Rebekah said. "Don't tell anyone. Okay?" Katherine said. "Alright." Rebekah said. "Klaus?" Katherine asked. Klaus wasn't listening; he was too busy looking over Hayley. Rebekah hit his arm. "What? Hm? What'd I miss?" He said, trying to recover. Hayley stepped over to him. "I'm Hayley. Hayley Marshall." She said, shaking hands with Klaus. "I'm Niklaus Mikaelson, but you can call me Klaus. All my friends do." "What friends?" Rebekah asked. She looked up as she saw Hayley giggling at the expressions on Klaus's face. Then, reality sets in. "Mikaelson. As in the very wealthy, stuck up family, Mikaelson?" She asked. Katherine laughed at her face. "Yes, Hayley." She told her friend. Rebekah walked over and hugged Hayley, surprising her a lot. "Rebekah Mikaelson. I'm the nice one." "Now that we know who this lovely lady is," Klaus said, and Hayley rolled her eyes, blushing a tiny bit, "Would you mind telling us why you are letting Elijah be with another woman?" He asked Katherine. "It is his life. I cannot do anything to say who he can and can't be with. He cheated on me, anyway. While I was carrying his child!"

No one had an answer so they became quiet. Hayley broke the awkward silence, first. "Why are you here?" "We came to tell Katherine that her mother and our father are getting engaged." Klaus said, trying to keep his cool. "He proposed right in front of us!" Rebekah said, angrily. "What kind of father does that? No offense." Hayley said. "I said the exact same thing." Rebekah told her. "What are we going to do?" Katherine asked. "The only thing we can do." Klaus and Hayley said at the same time.


	3. Revenge Plot

**_With Katherine, Hayley, Klaus, and Rebekah…_**

They sat on the floor and devised a plan to fix this situation. "So, Hayley," Klaus began. He was really starting to get on her nerves. "Why are you agreeing to help us?" She took her time to choose her words, carefully, here. "I am helping Katherine with this pregnancy and Elijah. As for your parents getting together, people are wrong when then say not all step-moms are evil. They are." "I'm guessing you have a step-mom?" Rebekah asked, quietly. Hayley's eyes flashed anger, frightening both Klaus and Rebekah. "She doesn't like to talk about it." Katherine quickly spoke up.

Hayley waved her off, her hand accidentally hitting Rebekah in the face. "Oh, sorry, Rebekah. Step-moms cannot be trusted. My step-mom stole my father from me. Before they got married, she was super nice to me, and for my dad's sake, I tried to be nice to her. Once she and my dad got married, I was nothing to her. I fed the cat that wasn't even mine, I watched her slap my dog, and when my brother died in the military I cried forever. You know what she said? She told me to deal with it. My own brother! Of course, in front of Dad, she was as nice as can be, but as soon as we were alone… Well, you get it. Two months after they got married, they left and moved to New York City, as per my step-mom's wishes. I was left alone here, on my own, at sixteen, when Katherine and I really connected. She helped me nurse my dog, Lucy, back to health, after being hit so many times by _Esther_." She finished with a look of disgust on her face.

Klaus gasped, and Rebekah followed his lead. Hayley looked at them. "What?" She asked, innocently. "Our mother's name is Esther." Rebekah said. Hayley shrugged. "So, many people could be named Esther." Katherine said. "And she lives in New York City… Hayley, how old are you?" Klaus finished for his sister. "Twenty." "Mother got remarried four years ago." Klaus said in shock. Katherine was looking between these people. She suddenly stood up and hurried to the bathroom, followed by Hayley. _'Thank goodness Hayley is here. I don't know what I would have done without her.' _Katherine thought. They came out a few minutes later, having given the Mikaelson siblings time to recover from the shock. "So… Our mother is the worst step-mother of all time?" Rebekah asked slowly, still trying to process everything. Hayley nodded. "I'm sorry. I did not know you guys shared blood with her. If I had, I probably wouldn't have told you the worst things she did to me." She said, holding a hand still over her mouth.

An awkward silence followed. "What do we do about Elijah?" Katherine asked, quietly. "Best option, we tell him." Hayley said. "Smarter option, we don't." Rebekah said. Klaus, who had been completely entranced by Hayley the whole time, looked at his sister then said, "Let's see Hayley's reasoning for telling Elijah." They all turned expectantly to Hayley. "He deserves to know. Father's right." She said, simply. Katherine shyly looked away, Rebekah choked on a piece of watermelon, and Klaus just tilted his head sideways. "What?" "Just the realization that he'll be a father. Scary." Katherine said. "We have to teach him a lesson." Rebekah spoke up. "Like what?" Klaus asked her. "We'll break up him and that Camille girl you said he's engaged to." Hayley said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Klaus stared at her, intensely. "Why?" Hayley smiled, deviously. "I'm glad you asked… Klaus." She said, brushing her hand subtly over his arms. Rebekah noticed this and shot Katherine a look. Katherine didn't seem fazed by this at all.

_'__Revenge.' _Katherine mouthed to Rebekah, who nodded. Hayley pulled away and continued, "He broke my best friend's heart. And, as long as I'm around, no one gets away with that. Now, we'll just have to break his heart. Make him feel the pain." She said, laughing wickedly. "Is she okay?" Klaus asked. Katherine laughed, "She gets like this when thinking of revenge schemes." "Oh-kay? So, how will we break them up? Are we going to use the baby?" Rebekah asked excitedly. Katherine immediately placed her hand over her belly, protectively. "My baby will not be used as a revenge weapon." She said, sternly. "I will do it." Hayley said. They looked at her in surprise. Katherine clapped. "The genius goes at it, again." She laughed. Rebekah and Klaus just looked at each other, confused. Hayley moved herself closer to Klaus. "I hold all the cards…" She whispered close to his lips. He leaned in, slightly, but she pulled back. "Ooh, you are good." Klaus said. She smiled, brightly. "I know." She earned a high-five from Katherine. "No man has ever been able to resist me. I will ruin you. That is a promise." "Okay, so, are we set on the Elijah plan?" Rebekah asked. They agreed unanimously.

"So… back to our parents…?" Katherine asked. "I say we break them up, too." Hayley said. "Do you enjoy watching people suffer?" Klaus asked. "I suffered; why shouldn't they? Besides, if they are meant to be, we won't be able to break them up." "True. So, what do we do first?" Rebekah asked. "You can put me in…" Hayley started, but was interrupted by Klaus, "No! I will not have you do…" He gestured to what she was doing to him, "This… to my father. "Fine." She said, sulkily. "Any other ideas?" Hayley asked. Everyone stared in thought for a while. "I have a friend, Marcel." Klaus said, "He can help us by _distracting _your mother." He pointed to Katherine. "Nik!" Rebekah exclaimed. Hayley looked at her in shock. "She has a crush on him." Klaus explained. "I do not! Geez, Nik! Shut up!" Rebekah said, getting flustered. They couldn't help but laugh at her. "So, have we reached a decision?" Katherine asked. "Yes!" They shouted, putting their hands in the middle, laughing and hugging each other. This group of schemers would soon become fast friends.

**_With Mikael, Elijah, Kol, Amber, Tatia, Elena, and Isobel…_**

They spent the rest of the night singing karaoke, and playing _Just Dance, _and the adults drank. They were completely oblivious to the danger the others were coming up with just next door. "Hey, where are Klaus and Rebekah?" Kol asked, around nine o'clock. "I'm sure they're fine." Mikael said. Little did they know just how wrong he was.


	4. The Plan in Action: Day 1

**A/N: Sorry this chapter's a little short; I thought I'd do a little clearing up on the group's plan. **

**_The Hayley and Elijah part…_**

He was sitting at his favorite coffee shop down the street a ways. She stood outside, studying him, deciding the best way to in for the attack. She nudged Katherine, who stood next to her. "What?" Katherine asked, a little startled. Hayley looked at her, knowing her friend still had feelings for Elijah. But, he broke her heart, and this had to be done. "Does he do that a lot?" Hayley asked her, noticing Elijah was looking around nervously and tapping his fingers on the table. Katherine nodded, "Only when he's really nervous." Hayley looked at her face, noting a hint of desperation in her eyes. She grabbed Katherine's shoulder, gently, and said, "I know it's hard, but we have to do this, okay? We want revenge and you want him back. It's a win-win situation." She looked around for a moment. "You're clear on the plan right?" "I think so, but I was a little dizzy while you guys were explaining it." "Okay, I got in there; distract Elijah while you take his phone out his pocket and text Camille to come down there. Then, you leave ASAP. His fiancé comes in and sees him flirting with me and she gets jealous. That's step one, got it?" "Got it."

Hayley moved her arms around her, giving her a comforting hug. As she started to walk away, Katherine watched as Hayley pulled down the front of her tank-top, exposing the top of her bra, and couldn't help but feel jealous. Sure, she was mad at him for cheating on her, but she still had feelings for him; they don't just go away. But, she had to keep her eye on the ball here. If she ever wanted Elijah back, she had to go through with this.

Hayley walked into the coffee shop with perfect timing. She pulled a walkie-talkie out of her back pocket, "Roger, roger. The bird is in the nest. Grab the stone. Over. Out." She said. "What?" The voice asked. "Elijah's here and we're going to start the plan. Were you paying any attention at the code meeting, Klaus?" "No." Was his quiet response. She let out a frustrated sigh and shoved the walkie-talkie in her pocket and walked to Elijah's table.

"Hey, is this seat taken?" Hayley asked Elijah. Before he had a chance to reply, she plopped down across from him. As a walkie-talkie would be too obvious and, clearly, nobody paid attention at the code meeting, she got out her phone and texted Katherine. _'It's a go. Come get his phone. I only have so long.' 'On it.' _She smiled as she put her phone away. Hayley inched closer to him from across the table. She subtly touched his arm, while leaning over so he could he down her shirt. She looked up to see the expressions on his face and knew it was working. She caught the eye of Katherine who was behind Elijah texting. She deleted the text and ran out. Hayley moved closer so she was just about to press her lips against his, when she swiftly turned her head and whispered in his ear, "It takes more than charm." She had no idea how long she'd be here, so she figured she'd start small. She started twirling her hair and giggling and smiling like a maniac. Truthfully, she hated acting all dumb like this, but, hey, a revenge plan had to work, or you do all that work for nothing.

She had moved on to taking off her sweatshirt, leaving her in just a tank-top and breathing close to him, wondering how long it takes someone to get to a coffee shop. _'Good thing he was taking the bait, or this would be no fun at all.' _She thought. Just when she was going to give up, she saw a blonde woman walk in the door, and over to Elijah, angrily. She realized this must be Camille, so she leaned in like she was going to kiss him, but not before she was 'pulled away' by Camille. She walked away, lifting her head high and proud. As soon as she got out, she was being talked to excitedly by Katherine. "Awesome job, Hayley. He was ready to do anything for you." "Thank you. But, I am doing this for you." The girls smiled and hugged each other, walking back to Hayley's house.

**_At Hayley's House…_**

Katherine and Hayley walked into the house, walking into the study, where Klaus and Rebekah were waiting. Hayley pulled the camcorder bobby pin out of her hair, handing it to Klaus, who said, "Excellent job, Hayley. Who knew you were so good?" "We did." Hayley said, gesturing to her and Katherine. "You know, a kiss in front of Camille would have really topped it off." Rebekah commented. Hayley felt her cheeks turn a million shades of red. "See, I would, but the thing is…" She trailed off, not able to complete her sentence. "Oh my gosh, you haven't kissed anyone!" Rebekah exclaimed. "But, your seduction techniques are incredible." Klaus told her. "Yeah, well, living with your mom wasn't all bad; She taught me to be a master of seduction. But, I've never actually done anything above drive a man wild." Katherine looked up, "What about the time… With the waiter?" "Doesn't count. It was an accident." "What happened?" Rebekah asked, excitedly. "Nothing. I don't want to talk about it. It was extremely embarrassing and Katherine, here, will never let me forget."

Rebekah looked down at her watch and said, "Nik, it's almost time for dinner. We have to go." Katherine nodded, smiled, and hugged them, before going to lay down on the couch. Rebekah walked out the door, expecting Klaus to follow. Noticing that they were alone in a room, Klaus took the opportunity to grab Hayley gently by her waist and pull in to a soft kiss. Hayley had never experienced this before- the feeling of a man's lips on hers- but she loved it. She started to kiss him back, surprising herself that she knew what she was doing. He broke the kiss and said, "Now you have a new story to tell. Oh, and we'll deal with the Mikael and Amber part tomorrow, okay?" She nodded, still stunned at what had happened.

Klaus left and Hayley stared out the window for a moment, subconsciously touching her lips. "Congratulations, Hayley. It only took you twenty years to get your first kiss." Katherine told her, smiling. "Yeah, and it only took you twenty years to get pregnant." The girls laughed and hugged each other, as best friends forever. If only they could get the Mikaelsons to be this way…


	5. Ms Marshall

**_Catching up with Hayley…_**

"Hi, Dad. I miss you." "I miss you too, kiddo. So, how's things with Katherine?" "She's good… uh… pregnant, actually." "What… Really?" "Yeah. So, we've got a seduce and destroy plan going." "That's my girl." "So, how's Esther?" She said, not really meaning it. "We had a baby." "WHAT?" "Last year. Her name's Hope." "Well, I got stuff to do, gotta go, Dad, love you, bye." She rushed out, hanging up the phone as soon as possible. _'Why? Why me? Why does everything bad always happen to me?'_ She got up off her bed and walked downstairs, her dog Lucy right at her tail, when she heard the doorbell ring.

"Klaus!" She said, when the door opened, revealing him. "Hello, love. How are things?" Before she could stop herself, the words were out, "Terrible. My dad… and your mom… had a baby!" He placed his hands on her shoulders "What?" Tears flowed down her eyes, "Yes. And, I'm not even his real daughter." "You're not?" "No. I never met my father, but my mother died when I was seven." "Are you adopted, then?" "Yes. He was married to my mom at the time she died. Since I didn't know my dad, he adopted me. All my life I called him father, but he is just cold and heartless. Like a monster." "So, technically I have a half-sister that is not related to you- by blood, but by adoptive terms?" "Yeah, pretty much." "Well, that's a relief." "Why?" "Because if I was related to you, I couldn't do this."

He stepped closer, stroking her cheek. He brought her chin up to him and caught her lips in his. She gasped, at the feel of him kissing her. Soon, she kissed back. He pulled away after a moment and told her, "Come on, let's go do something. Just the two of us." Her heart skipped a beat as she had never been asked on a date before.

They walked around the park, watching tumbling waterfalls and small creatures running around. "It's beautiful, Klaus." "I'm glad you enjoy nature. We needed a day away from the others. It was nice." He said as they walked back. "You know what I like to do?" She asked, making him smile and shake his head.

They walked into her house and she popped a CD into the boom box. A song started and it sounded really cool. "What is this?" He asked her. "Florida Georgia Line's new album. Anything Goes." She said, dancing and spinning to the music, like a professional. "Wow, you can dance." "Thank you. I used to take dance. But I don't like people telling me what to do." He pulled her closer. "Not even you…" She whispered, close to his lips.

Their lips crashed together in a passionate kiss. He pushed her against a wall, and she smiled into the kiss. He started to kiss her neck when the doorbell rang. She sighed and walked over to the door. In walked Rebekah, Katherine, and Marcel. "We're here for our next meeting, we couldn't find… Nik! What are you doing here?" Rebekah said, then, looking at Hayley, she got the message. "Oh…" "Impeccable timing, sister." "Sorry."

"We need to decide when to start the break-up-Mikael-and-Amber-part." "Fine. But, Marcellus, don't let Amber kiss you, or Rebekah will never let me live." Klaus said, making Hayley giggle. "Tomorrow will be a bust day. Hayley will work on the Hayley and Elijah part, while Marcel will be working on the Marcel and Amber part. We need to be ready." "We should make a pact. We'll stick together; Always and Forever." Katherine said, placing a hand on her stomach, gently. They put their hands in the middle, "One… Two… Three… Always and Forever!"


	6. The Plan in Action: Day 2

**_The Marcel and Amber part…_**

Marcel and Rebekah had just left Base Camp, formerly known as Hayley's house. They trudged through the grass to the Pierce residence. "See ya, Marcel. Good luck in there. Katherine's not here, now that she's hanging at Hayley's place, so you have extra help. But, don't worry; I'll be right up there, in that tree." Rebekah said, pointing to a large Oak tree. "Alright, I'll do my best, Rebekah." Marcel said, giving her a peck on the cheek, before boosting her up into the tree. He walked up to the doorstep, ringing the doorbell, but not before seeing Rebekah lightly touching her cheek and blushing. He turned around, gave her a wink, and turned around as the door opened.

"Hi, I'm Marcel. I'm a friend of Klaus and Rebekah. I'm here to talk to Amber." He said, introducing himself to Elena and Isobel. "Oh, hey, I'm Elena, and this is Isobel. I'll go get Amber for you. Come on in." Marcel followed Elena to the living room on a couch and sighed as he waited for Amber. "Hello, Marcel. I assume this is about Mikael and/or his children. Elena told me you are a friend of Klaus and Rebekah." "Actually, I just wanted you." "And why is that?" "I wanted to meet the woman who is going to be my best friends' step-mom." "Oh…kay…?" "Because I wanted to tell you that I know of a secret admirer you have, and how Mikael rushes into things too quickly."

"A secret admirer? Who would this be?" "A guy I know, Thierry." "Well, who wouldn't be interested, anyway?" "I'm not. I mean, you're a beautiful woman, and all, but I'm not interested." "Well, thanks, but you're not my type, anyway." "Alright, glad we've established that." "So, Mikael always rushes into things?" "Yes, do you know how he got involved with Esther?" "No, he never told me that story, how?" "He met her at a party held by his sister, Freya. He married her five weeks later." "Five _weeks_? Why?" "He wanted to be married, and that's why things escalated." Marcel said, going along with the script Rebekah was reading him through his earpiece. "So, what are you saying?" "I'm saying that you shouldn't marry Mikael."

Amber looked at him in shock, quickly standing up. She looked at him, for a bit before her expressions softened and looked at him. "How can I be sure you're not feeding lies, Marcel?" "You can't, but just know that I have everyone's best interest in mind." "And, why would that be?" "Because I'm practically a part of the family." Marcel stood up and reached out to shake Amber's hand. "Thank you, Ms. Pierce, for your time. If you wish to meet again, just call me." He said, expertly slipping her his number through the handshake.

…

"That was so great, Marcel!" "Really, you're not just saying that?" "Do I ever tell you, especially, things I don't mean?" "No." "Then, you were great. Just believe it." "Thanks. Hey, Rebekah?" "Yeah?" "Do you maybe wanna go out with me tomorrow night?" "Sure, I'd love to!" _"You guys know your mics are still on, right?" _Hayley's voice cut through the tension between them and they all laughed.


End file.
